1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an optical recording device utilizing an organic material, particularly an optical recording device capable of recording with high reliability and high density utilizing an organic thin film of a high degree of molecular orientation, and to an information memorizing device utilizing said optical recording device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recently an optical disc is highlighted as the central recording (memorizing) device in office automation (OA). This is because a large amount of documents and literature can be recorded (or memoried) with only one sheet of optical disc, and therefore introduction of an information memorizing device using said optical disc is expected to bring about a great revolution in arrangement and management of documents and literatures in offices. Also, as the recording material for said optical disc, organic materials having specific features of low cost, easy fabricability, high density recordability, etc. are attracting attention.
Among the prior arts employing such organic recording materials, an optical recording device of a binary component system utilizing particularly a color forming reaction through contact of chromogenic agent with an auxochromic agent capable of developing said chromogenic agent form color (hereinafter referred to as "an assistant agent" or "an assistant compound" has been reported (Nikkei Industrial Newspaper, Oct. 18, 1983).
To describe an example of said optical recording device by referring to a drawing, as shown in FIG. 2(a), it consists of a chromogenic agent layer 7 and an assistant agent layer 5 laminated on a substrate 1 separated from each other through a light-absorbing layer 6.
The chromogenic agent (leuco form) and the assistant agent themselves are colorless or pale colored before they contact with each other.
When recording is made on said recording device, by irradiation of a laser beam 8 at a desired position on the light-absorbing layer as shown in FIG. 2(b), the portion irradiated by a laser beam in the light-absorbing layer is melted by absorption of the laser beam to be broken with formation of a small pit.
Consequently, the chromogenic agent and the assistant agent separated through the light-absorbing layer 6 are mixed together as shown in FIG. 2(c) to develop color. The information is recorded or memoried in the form of the color point 9, and reading is performed by scanning on said recording device with another light source and detecting the change in reflectance, transmittance, etc. by the color formed point.